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Sunday, January 09, 2011

Rabindra Sangeet in Cinema

I had been toying with the idea of this post for some time and the demise of Suchitra Mitra was the sad - but appropriate - trigger that forced me write it down.
Having spent a lot of time out of Calcutta, I found that Rabindra Sangeet is by and large considered as the mandatory art form to be perfected by Bengali women (and displayed when prospective grooms come calling) that is also to be accompanied by Bengali men on the tabla. It is also considered slightly soporific, slightly maudlin and therefore, slightly boring.

To correct - or more accurately, try to correct - this notion, I thought I will put down a list of my favourite Tagore songs as depicted on film. This is not pristine Rabindra Sangeet but interpretations by filmmakers from different genres and brought to life on screen by extremely charismatic actors.Kharo bayu boi bege - Kabuliwala
The first on the list is also my earliest memory of a Rabindrasangeet on screen. Chhabi Biswas - in the title role - sees his daughter in Mini, one of the cutest child actors ever to grace the silver screen (played by Tinku Tagore, Sharmila's younger sister). And in one sequence, Mini performs in a dance programme that has her Kabuliwala and the audience enthralled. For the life of me, I cannot locate the movie clip so you will have to make do with the audio.

Ami chini go chini - Charulata
This is as masterly as it gets. Probably the greatest Bengali actor lip-syncs to the voice of the greatest Bengali singer under the helm of the greatest Bengali director - in a story by Tagore himself.
Satyajit Ray was hell-bent on getting Kishore Kumar to sing this song. Kishore - Bollywood's busiest playback singer - did not have time to go the loo, let alone Calcutta despite being terribly keen to sing. He requested the mountain to come to Mohammed. To solve the small matter that Kishore Kumar could not read a score sheet, Bijoya Ray (Satyajit's wife) recorded the song which he heard and sang in one clean take.
And just in case you are wondering, the piano was played by Ray himself.

Je raatey mor duaarguli - Meghey Dhaka Tara
As a life-long devotee of Ray, it is a little difficult for me to accept that the best picturisations of Rabindrasangeet is not done by him. But the case Ritwik Ghatak puts up is unassailable. And this is the prime example.
The tragic story of the eldest daughter of a refugee family would have degenerated into melodrama with any lesser director. In the film, this song happens on the eve of her sister's wedding to her boyfriend as she tries to learn it and sing it at the wedding. The male & female voices are simultaneously mellifluous and tragic while the camera moves as a lurking shadow on her misfortune. And in a sort of first, Ghatak cut the song with a sound effect of lashes - a leit motif in the film of the protagonist's misfortunes.

Bhalobashi bhalobashi - Shwet pathorer thala
Indrani Sen's magical voice transforms this song to a different level altogether, which is performed on screen by the very beautiful, Aparna Sen.
This is supposed to be a run-of-the-mill song picturisation with a giggly, happy couple singing love songs on a boat. But there is something about the music, the words, the setting and Aparna Sen that takes it a level or two higher.

Akash bhora shurjo tara - Komal Gandhar
This is the second exhibit in the list of Ritwik Ghatak's brilliant filming of Rabindrasangeet.
The song - rendered by the inimitable Debabrata Biswas - has all the qualities of a hymn. He is the most well-loved among all artistes of Rabindrasangeet and this is - in my book - the song that benefits the most from his sonorous voice.
The relationships within an idealistic theatre group form the basis of this movie and in some ways, this becomes a 'romantic' song in the movie while in isolation, it is anything but.

Ei kathati money rekho - Chowringhee
I had to sneak in an Uttam Kumar song and this is the one.
Uttam Kumar plays a suave front office manager at a Calcutta 5-star hotel and this is a romantic interlude with an air-hostess who stays in the hotel.The film is based on one of the most popular Bengali novels (now available in a very good translation).

Purano shei diner katha - Agniswar
This is the ultimate nostalgia song. Inspired from Auld Lang Syne, this is the staple song to be performed at all farewells. And reunions.
In the film, the protagonist (Uttam Kumar) brings together his old friends and one of them sing it (in the magical voice of Hemanta Mukherjee). Nothing really happens during this song but the voice and of course, the words are too strong to not get it into the list. I wish some new filmmaker just uses this soundtrack and picturises the video better.
Or I should just ask Bishwaprasun to sing it at our next school reunion.

Pagla hawa badal diney - The Bong Connection
This is the best remix of a Rabindrasangeet. Shreya Ghoshal picks up the baton from iconic performers as Raima Sen takes over from her grandmother Suchitra Sen in a wonderfully peppy rendition of an already wonderful song.
Anjan Dutt - the director - has a very strong music sense (being a composer and lyricist himself) and his son, Neel Dutt - the film's composer - adds the 'jhankaar beats' with just the right mix of exuberance and restraint.
And uh - ignore Shayan Munshi's tomfoolery. But that's part of the song's energy, I suppose.

Tomar holo shuru / Chhoonkar mere manko - Yaarana
Bollywood has never shied away from lifting great tunes from anywhere. And Tomar holo shuru is as good as they get! The original is about a passing of the baton from the older generation to the newer while the lift is an out-and-out romantic song, where Amitabh woos Neetu Singh in the empty expanse of Netaji Indoor Stadium in Calcutta.
As a kid when I saw this film with my mother, I remember thinking "Oh my god, they copied that Bengali song from Amitabh" but then, hey!

Jana gana mann - Rann
And this is my final - and most controversial - entry to my list.
Tagore's most famous composition is the second-most popular song in the world - with nearly a billion people knowing it and singing it (though a little unwilling, I am sure, in some cases). Ramgopal Verma's take on modern media had a scathing re-working of our national anthem, in line - he claimed - with the toxic times. Guardians of our morality and patriotism felt it was too 'seditious' (ah! that word again!) and censored it from the movie. But I think, Tagore - the original modernist - would have approved.

Honourable Mention: I was thinking of a good picturisation of Shokhi bhabona kahare boley, a big favourite of mine. An earlier version in Balika Bodhu (Bengali) was filmed with too much nyaka-ness. This is a rather interesting mix of video and audio, though I have no clue about the film or the actors.

Nice post. Someone shared this with me and all over again I fell in love with Rabindra Sangeet. Well, a few songs which I like for their simple rendition are:

1) Alo amar alo from Aponjon. This song is my Red Bull many a times. And if I am not wrong it was sung by the two actors themselves in the movie. The chorus was sung by the actor Partha Chatterjee and another actor whose name I don't know. And you have to pardon my ignorance on this.

2) Esho esho amar ghore esho from Chhaya shurjo. The song, in my opinion, is by far the most romantic song ever. My kind of romance that is. ;) and the rendition is such that in spite of being a "Puja porjar" gaan, has haunting feel to it. And then the rains, the thunder, the lightning, and an extremely beautifully sultry Sharmila Tagore to top it off.

3) Baje koruno shure from Teen Konya, Monihara. There is nothing to say about this one. Still get chills up my spine whenever I manage to listen to it.

4) Much to my surprise nobody remembers three magical renditions in the movie Paramitar Ekdin. That really made me sad.:(

a) Bipulo torongo re sung by Prabudhhya Raha is a sosng beautifully sung and couldn't be used more appropriately.

c) Hridoy amar prokasho holo another one, by Jayashree DasGupta. This one is my personal favourite. A talchhara gaan accompanied by a simple tanpura.

As far as remix with Rabindra Sangeet is concerned, Sahana Bajpayee is doing a good job. But NEVER Pagla Hawa from B ong Connection. It is called RAPE. And yes, this is again what a person biased about Rabindra Sangeet has to say. :)

A few more came to my mind:1. 'Jibono jokhon shukaye jay karuna dharay esho' a song immortalised by Suchitra Mitra was also used in the film Arogya Niketan - do not remember the singer's name.2.'Majhe Majhe tobo dakha pai' - by Ritu Guha was used in the movie 'the island' by Australian director Paul Cox - as background music at the end3. 'Din guli mor sonar khachay' - by Dwijen Mukhopadhyay in the movie Kancher swargo4. 'Deep Nibhe gachhe momo' - used in the movie Ashukh directed by Rituporno GhoshCan someone pls let me know the RS sung beautifully by Abhirup Guhathakurta in a superb telefilm 'Palatak' directed by Anjan Dutt ? I will be really grateful. Y

There's this fabulous compilation -- available in cassette form earlier but now on CD -- called 'Chhayachhobite Rabindrasangeet'. Some fabulous songs there; each and every one is a gem, from 'Dnariye achho tumi aamar gaaner opaare' to 'Mone ki dwidha rekhe gele chole'.

Unfortunately I don't remember the names of the films or the singers off-hand. But pick up that CD if you can.

Most of my favourites still remain my favourites (and everybody should write posts on theirs!). Except, I completely missed Paromitar Ekdin and Shubho Maharat - which I would have liked to keep in my list.

Thank you for having collected such an incredible fanbase, Dipta. They never disappoint :-)

My two favourites missing from the list are:1. Jeebono moroner sheemana chharaye. It's most recently been used in Shubho Mahurat. One of my absolutest favourites.

2. Jedin porbe na more payer chinho ei baate. This easily sentimentalised song has been used often, I'm sure, but it's emphasis on the everlasting soul that transcends death is brought out beautifully by the sequence in that Rituparna Sengupta film based on the Bibhutibhushan short-story. Alo, possibly. It's marred by over-sentimental dialogue in conclusion, but the song is well used.

About "Shokhi Bhabona Kahare Bole?", have you heard the Debobroto Biswas version? It brings out quite a different meaning than the more saucy or happy numbers in say, Sreeman Prthwiraj.

Anonymous, when I was a kid "aji dhaner khete roudrochhayay" was somehow played / sung in every para function or random pandals. And on multiple occasions, I didn't catch the "LU" bit, so it became "KOCHURIR KHELA" for me, and the resident glutton inside me used to tet terribly excited.

When I was a kid, I attended a boarding school in panchgani. And there, we were taught some rabindrasangeet!!! I'm not bengali, and I didn't understand the words much!!.But I loved the songs.We had a little song book from which we would read and sing.I remember the songs still.....They were (pardon my spelling)Shiter Hawai laglo naachOre Bahi phagun legeche bone boneand Ore Grihabaashi......I have looked all across the net but I still cant find the songs on mp3 nor can I find the lyrics!!! :(I remember the tunes well, and I can still hum them!!!Those songs are still etched in my childhood memories!!! :)

Anyone watching this serial called Ganer Oparey on Star Jalsha? Makes VERY innovative use of Rabindrasangeet - the conflict of the storyline lies in the modernist vs the traditional interpretation of Tagore's music.

"Bidhi'r bNadhon" of course, the Chitrangada song from "Dada'r Kirti"("Kone aalo laaglo chokhey" by Arundhati Home Choudhury, a brilliant brilliant rendition with great vocal depth) and yes, the fusion "Pagla hawa" from "Bong Connection". One of your commenters has objected to the last, but why should Robindro Shongeet not evolve? I thought it was a beautiful version (very well picturised, too).

"Chorono dhoritey" from "Dada'r Kirti" was very good. I have to find "Shokhi bhabona kaharey boley"; it was my daughter's first lullaby! Was that from "Shreeman Prithviraj"? I should get a DVD, haven't seen it in decades!

One last point. Robindro Shongeet without accompaniment, or with minimal accompaniment - that's how it's supposed to be sung. Now most purists will be aghast,but I think Kishore Kumar was second to none not only in his emoting but in his adherence to the "shworolipi". In fact, some of the songs on his second RS album suffered because he was conscious about the musical grammar.And for the purists who object, sucks to you! The Boss thought he was the best, and his opinion outweighs a million straitjacketed nitpickers!

Switching to Uninor was really worth it! I have set my ringtone to Firiye Dao from Miles. Listening to all my favourite Bengali songs today. Now I can download all my favourite music in just Rs 2.50 per day. http://on.fb.me/i4F9Tm

Very late to join the party and forced to delurk. But I'm really surprised no one mentions Rashid Khan's rendition of 'Aha Tomar Songe' during the end-credits of Anuranan.just thinking of it makes me break out in goose-bumps every time!

Speaking from my own experience of spending 17 years of my formative period in Delhi and having done my entire schooling from Delhi,I can confidently state that Rabindra Sangeet is as popular among Probashi Bangali as it is to a person born and brought up in Kolkata.

Hence, yhen you mentioned "very few people outside of Bengal know about the versatility of Rabindranath the composer/lyricist", you probably meant the Non-Bengali population.

In that case, your statement, otherwise highly objectionable, will make some sense because one cannot know about versatility of Guru Dev unless he knows how to read and appreciate Rabindranath Thakur in his original Bengali version, be it his songs or be it his literature.

The first instance of use of "Rabi Thakurer gaan" in my opinion was in the bengali movie "Udayer Pathey" based on the novel "Gora" by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhaya in the year 1944-"Diner shesey goomer deshay" sung bu Pankaj Kumar Mullick.